National Register of Historic Places Received QCT 2 0 Inventory Nomination Form Date Entered 2. Location
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NPS Form 10-900 (3-82) OMB N°- 1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service For NPS use only National Register of Historic Places received QCT 2 0 Inventory Nomination Form date entered See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries complete applicable sections______________________________ 1. Name______________________________ historic_______________________________ _____________________ and or common -flie Arkansas Sculptures of Dionicio Rodrigaez 2. Location___________________________ street & number See individual inventory forms____________________JL not for publication (Garland & Hot Spring "tv. town________________________ vicinity of_________________County B-jf.M ) ^ f. ~ c Pulaski. Garland 119, state Arkansas___________code 05_______county Hot Spring code 051," 059 3. Classification Category Ownership Status Present Use district public occupied agriculture museum building(s) private X unoccupied commercial X park structure ** both work in progress educational X private residence site Public Acquisition Accessible entertainment religious X object _KZAin process ^ yes: restricted government scientific being considered X ._ yes: unrestricted industrial transportation JL_no military other: 4. Owner of Property name Multiple Ownership; see individual inventory forms street & number city, town _____________________ __ vicinity of ____________state Arkansas ______ 5. Location of Legal Description______________ courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Pulaski Co. Courthouse, Garland Co. Courthouse, Hot Spring Co. Crthse street & number MarMiam Street Ouachita Malvern city. town _____________Little Rock, AR ______ Hot Springs, AE^ AR 6. Representation in Existing Surveys____ old Mill title AHPP Survey Inventory_____________has this property been determined eligible? __ yes __ no date January, 1973____________________________ federal _X. state __ county __ local depository for survey records Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, 225 E. Markham, Suite 200 city, town Little Rock ________________________________ state Arkansas___________ 7. Description Condition Check one Check one excellent deteriorated x unaltered x original site ruins altered moved date X fair unexposed Describe the present and original (iff known) physical appearance SUMMARY Ranging in date from the early 1930's to the first years of the following decade, there exist seven known sites of sculptures by Dionicio Rodriguez, a Mexican-American folk sculptor. The pieces extant in Arkansas constitute one of the most representative collections of Rodriguez' work. Three of these sites, each located in parks in North Little Rock commissioned by Jus tin Matthews, are included in this nomination, as are a Garland County and Hot Spring County sitecoinmissi6nedi>by^Harvey^Couch. Convincingly resembling forms of natural creation, these sculptures were constructed of reinforced concrete with a hand-sculpted surface that was tinted to more closely resemble the material it was imitating. Working in a folk tradition learned in his native Mexico, Rodriguez was the most skillful and convincing sculptor known to have produced rustic concrete landscape features during the period 1925-1950. ELABORATION In describing his own work, Rodriguez wrote in 1935 that "It doesn't take much material and gives wonderful results."1 The majority of his sculptures were functional depictions of fallen or decaying trees with split, peeling, lichen-covered or insect-eaten bark. The astounding accuracy of Rodriguez' detailing enables the observer to frequently identify the tree specie represented. Many pieces are similar to one another, such as the tree trunk shelters located in Lakewood Park, North Little Rock, Arkansas; Memorial Park in Memphis, Tennessee; and at two sites in San Antonio, Texas. Fallen tree benches and bridges were the most frequently executed sculptures. The existence of an Annie Laurie chair in Maryland reveals that the sculptor was not opposed to repeating himself, as this was a piece first commissioned by Clovis Hinds in Memphis. Lakewood Park possesses the only known example of a drinking fountain with "carved" faces. Occassionally small animals, cactus or toadstool sculptures were included in large landscape settings. Rodriguez' methodology, which was based on folk tradition learned in Mexico, differed from the practices promoted in publications of the period. The majority of concrete landscape features made during the early twentieth century were made with molds. In fact, a 1917 publication How to Make Concrete Garden Furniture and Accessories doesn't even mention or refer to the technique employed by Rodriguez. Rodriguez was possessive of his craft and unwilling to share his methodology with his assistants or observers. He never produced any sketches or drawings; nor did he write about or discuss his work. Thus, much is unknown concerning the technical and inspirational aspects of his work. Recollections by those who knew him and the sculptures themselves provide the only source of information. Usually Rodriguez worked with at least one helper, sometimes more, who would form the reinforced core of the sculptures. One such helper recalls that Rodriguez never taught anyone how to do any work, though he worked alongside his assistants until they achieved a fair degree of skill. Rodriguez' sculptures were constructed of reinforced concrete. For large pieces, the first step was to construct footings. The General form was made using reinforcing bar, rod, mesh, screen, wire, and rubble, held together with a rough coat of concrete. ' Expires 10-31-87 United States Department off the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form Continuation sheet____________________Item number 7___________Page 2_____ The various metal materials were tied together with wire rather than welded. This rough form, frequently executed by assistants, was allowed to dry before Rodriguez himself applied the surface coat of smooth concrete or "neat" cement. In sculpting the surface layer, Rodriguez "just sat down on the ground with a sack of cement and started working. They only other material he used was tinting."2 He often used pure portland or "neat cement" that he would wet down one sack at a time. Handmade tools formed on the job and table utensils were used to create the variety of surface textures. Once the surface coat had been sculpted and dried, it was tinted using chemical re-agents. These mixtures, for which the recipes are unknown, were applied with a brush and worked into the concrete with utensils. Once the chemicals had been applied, the sculpture was hosed with water. The chemicals constituting the tints were "copperas, sulfuric acid, iron oxide, salt peter, and some lamp black to sometimes darken his colors."^ It is not known how he mixed the colors, though observer's recollections indicate he mixed them in gallon jugs in Memphis and a Prince Albert Tobacco can at Lakewood Park. It is quite possible that Hinds knew the nature of the colorings, for he wrote inquiring of Rodriguez' desire to have colors ordered during the sculptor's absence from Memphis. "I note you will be in Chicago six or seven weeks. Don't forget to order what coloring you want. If you want me to order any coloring, send a list of colors, giving number of pounds on the enclosed card."4 Correspondence between the sculptor and Hinds suggests that there was a problem with the colors fading. In 1939 Hinds wrote "You know I want you to personally go over all your old work with good colors so it will hold and look good." 5 A letter two years later indicates that fading was still a problem, ". .as expressed in enclosed copy of letter, I feel we should deduct not less than $50.00 for repainting of the old work faded out so soon."6 Three of the sites included in this nomination were parks commissioned by Justin Matthews. The T. R. Pugh Memorial Park and the Crestview Park are both owned by the City of North Little Rock. Lakewood Parks is owned by the Lakewood Property Owners Association. Dating from the T. R. Pugh Memorial Park, or "Old Mill" as it is commonly known, is one of Rodriguez' masterpieces. Included in this park are a variety of benches, bridges and fences, as well as the "wood" architectural details of the mill itself! Sculptures of subjects unique to this site include a rain barrel with downspout, a* pump with trough and a mill wheel. Rodriguez had already begun working in Memphis when Hinds received a letter from Matthews inquiring about the availability of the sculptor. Hinds related to Rodriguez by letter that "From what he says I think he wants a big overshot wheel and some other rustic seats, features, etc."7 The "Old Mill" was conceived and constructed by Justin Matthews to be a focal point of his new residential subdivisions that surround the "rough and unsightly spot."8 Matthews intended for the mill to serve as a tribute to early Arkansas pioneers, specifically NPS Form 10-900-a 0MB fto. 1024-0018 (3-82) Expires 10-31-87 United States Department of the interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form Continuation sheet Item number 7 Page 3 ARKANSAS SITES Thomas Robert Pugh, a noted plantation owner and settler of Ashley County. The mill itself was designed by Frank Carmean, architect of the Matthews Company, who chose the site and designed the building, the wheel, its supporting blocks and the water flume. The water wheel weighs 10,000 pounds,